Dueling Guide
At Mischief Managed, we use a skill HUD, dice based system to determine the success and failure of spell casting, potion brewing, and various other actions that may take place within our role-play. The system simulates what most RPG's call "turn-based". In order for it to efficiently work, there needs to be a certain protocol and format to handling dueling among role-players. The following page is the approved means to dueling. Within you will find various strategies that can be used. Knowing the system, and knowing how spells are used and their effects are key to becoming an master dueler. You will find a few examples of things that can happen in a duel. Players are encouraged to be creative, provided they still adhere to the rules and system format. THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS 'The General Idea' Determine who emotes first. (A generic dice roll will be used. Not the HUD) Attacker does their emote. The spell chosen needs to be in accordance with the approved list. Spells that are two levels above may be attempted, but need a roll of 20, regardless of modifier. The attacker writes their emote and follows it with their dice roll. Dice roll must be done after their emote. The defender is given the option to either cast a defensive spell or dodge. Defensive spells are spells such as protegeo, a shield charm. If your level doesn't allow for a shield charm or some other defensive spell to block. RPer's are encouraged to use offensive spells in defensive ways. In other words, be creative, so long as the RP matches the canon use of said spell. Rper's can also take advantage of the HUD's "dodge" feature. Either the dodge or the spell's roll will take place before the emote. This way the defender can know if their spell or dodge is a success. After the dice roll, the RPer will emote accordingly. During their emote, defenders are allowed to attack back at the end of their emote. In which case, they will end their emote with a dice roll, signaling that their round has ended and that turn (magic attack) is sent to the opponent, thus making them the defender. This continues back and forth until a dice roll failure, (unable to cast or being hit by a spell) determines the duel cannot continue. Please note that, spells chosen for Role Play, must adhere to the Approved Spell List and the Approved Transfiguration List. Stick to your level. As a reminder, Role Player's are allowed to Role Playing "trying" spells TWO levels above their current level, but require a dice of of a natural 20 to succeed. All spells outside of the two levels above rule are always failures, no matter the total or roll of the dice. For dueling this very well could be a poor choice as the chance to roll a natural 20 is rare. 'Dueling Examples' Below is a few example of how things might or may go in a duel at Mischief Managed. It is important to know what the spell you want to Role Play and dice roll for does and how exactly it can be used. 'Example Duel One' This first example duel will cover the "Dodge" feature, general spell attacking, and a success with a Shield Charm. 'Dodge and Attack' :Attacker emotes and ends with the attacks dice roll Mariette LaFleur raises her wand at the ready, narrowing her eyes into a concentrated focus. She waits, studying her opponent, paying attention to the subtle movements of their body. When the signal to go is given. Mariette whips her wand around her head, commanding "Obscuro!" She says with a thrust to a point of her wand! MM - Ravenclaw Student HUD - v1.3: Mariette LaFleur got 16 points on a dice roll for Spells + 3 modifier points for a total of 19 points for roll. :The Defender rolls their dodge first and ends it with the attack dice roll. MM - Slytherin Student HUD - v1.3: Random Snotty Slytherin Boy got a No at dodge chance. Random Snotty Slytherin Boy tries to step out of the way but finds himself a bit too slow. A dark velvet black blindfold wraps itself tightly around his eyes, blocking his sight. The Slytherin boy groans and rips the blindfold from his face and slashes his wand back towards Mariette! "Conditum Anima!" He shouts back, firing the pepper breath hex at the girl. MM - Slytherin Student HUD - v1.3: Random Snotty Slytherin Boy got 11 points on a dice roll for Spells + 3 modifier points for a total of 14 points for roll. :The Defender wasn't able to dodge! Yikes! Well thankfully that spell wasn't an end all. The Defender becomes the attacker, sending the turn back. 'Spell Block with a Shield Charm' :The Defender, now Mariette uses her "Spells" skill to govern the use of the Shield Charm. A spell that is level 29 and requires a minimum roll of 10 to succeed. While Mariette is below the needed level to even try to cast, for the sake of the tutorial, let's forgo that little detail. She rolls her "Spells" dice and emotes accordingly. MM - Ravenclaw Student HUD - v1.3: Mariette LaFleur got 14 points on a dice roll for Spells + 3 modifier points for a total of 17 points for roll. Mariette LaFleur steps back, sharply swiping her wand downward, "Protegeo!" She said equally sharp as her wand movement was, effectively blocking the incoming attack. Quickly, the small framed girl, spun and thrust her wand out, giving it a brilliant tight twirl, ending her wand movement with a sudden flick upwards to her left, "Expelliarmus!" MM - Ravenclaw Student HUD - v1.3: Mariette LaFleur got 19 points on a dice roll for Spells + 3 modifier points for a total of 22 points for roll. :The attacker from the previous example rolled a total of 14 for their attack. Mariette rolled a total of 17 for her Shield Charm. Thus she successfully blocked it! The Defender again becomes the attacker, sending the turn back to the opponent. This continues back and forth until the duel ends. 'Disarming'